Happy Days Quilting

Monday, 28 February 2011

I've beavered away this week on my quilt, but it's really slow progress, being only the third quilt that I have hand appliqued, I'm still getting used to the fact, that even after hours of stitching... only a small area is finished!

This photo looks like I sew in the dark!

The centre buds have all been machine blanket stitched, it made a lovely change to be on my sewing machine.

The centre applique is all done apart from three leaves left to sew on (thankfully)

The corner design has been worked out, there are buds ready to be sewn on to the stalks.

I have decided how to quilt it, I want to do my first feather wreath in the middle, with small circles in between the two rows of feathers and then some feathers in the borders.

But.. I'm new to feathers and they still frighten the hell out of me! but that's how I want to quilt it, so I'm just going to bite the bullet.

I do have a new audio book that I'm listening to while I sew, it's Dan Brown's Deception Point, its a great book so the time goes by quicker!

Hop over to Judy's blog to check out some more Design Wall Monday projects!

Monday, 21 February 2011

I have managed to finish sewing on all the leaves and roses this week, all the bare stalks that are left are for the rose buds.

Next is to machine applique the green parts of the buds with a very small blanket stitch, I did try to starch and turn them over, but they were a pain to do so they are raw edge instead, I can then hand sew the buds in place.

This photo of my eldest daughter Emily, gives an idea of the size of the quilt.

Sunday, 13 February 2011

This is a UFO which is next in line for some attention, it is quite a few years old, it was made using fat quarters, my original plan was for some flying geeses borders, but I ran out of the white material needed to make them.
The new plan is just to quilt, bind it and hang it up at last!!

It is raw edge applique with a small blanket stitch.

The white background fabric is very swirly, so I'm going to use swirls in the quilting.

At the moment this is the chosen quilting design, small swirls and pebbling single or double.

Friday, 11 February 2011

These wallhangings were made early in 2010, as with most of my projects they were made with fat quarters that I've bought because I'd loved them, and not specifically with anything in mind. This almost always ends in lots of frustration as I've never got enough for what I decide to use it for.

The original plan was to make a medium sized wallhanging for my lounge but there was'nt enough fabric, so I comprimised and made two small wallhangings for my alcoves instead.

The blocks are small log cabin ones made using my Marti Michell ruler.

When it came to the quilting, I quilted in the ditch around the blocks and border, but I wanted to do free motion leaves and loops around the insides of the blocks.
I did practice quite a bit berfore I felt ready to quilt on the first one, but even then I really did'nt like the results, it just looks sloppy! it was quite difficult to go around the square blocks and keep the pattern I wanted.

I managed to find a stencil that would work better, so I marked up the quilt, again I practiced first, but I did find it a challenge to follow the lines, as this was the first time I had used a stencil.

Of the two quilts I prefer the one using the stencil design it looks a bit neater, but I did'nt rip out the stitches from the first one and redo it, because I like to see the stages of my improvements, so often in the past my quilts have ended up UFO's because I felt I had'nt done a good enough job on a part of it, or not had the confidence to try something new on a quilt.

So now I give myself permission to try new things even though I might not like the results, because I'm just not going to improve otherwise.

Thursday, 3 February 2011

I'm going to be 40 this year, it's on the same day as the royal wedding (which is a bit of a thunder stealer) and I've decided the presents all should be quilting related, my original plan was "40 things to do with quilting" please! but on reflection that seems excessive (to my Husband that is).
So I have started a wish list and to spread the cost out I've started to order things already and my first parcel arrived today Yay!!

I love Patsy Thompson DVD's she is such a good teacher and gives you the confidence to have a go
Applique Sharps no 10's lovely chubbly
And a clover threader for those pesky threads that won't go thru the needle!!

I'm really looking forward to my birthday now rather than dreading it LOL